Talk about Creating An Experience - Teatro Zinzanni wrote the book. Or rather, put on the show. Well, they truly created the Experience.

Last night our growing company of Decker Communications, Inc. had our belated holiday party at Teatro Zinzanni - a dinner/show in San Francisco (also in Seattle.) And our eighteen people who are experts in communication were blown away. So there were lessons to be learned - three, naturally...

Surprise, Build and Excellence

Surprise

I expected an entertaining, audience interactive dinner show. We got that, but after about a half hour of appetizer, a bawdy and entertaining drama opening about a wedding, we then got the unexpected:

That nice waitress who brought my wife an extra napkin suddenly appears in the middle of the floor, and sheds her smock, and takes to a rope stretching to the ceiling. In the nature of the best of Cirque de Soleil.

A Russian juggler who is also outrageous. Plays the accordion well too.

Jazz singer in awkward duet with ditzy busgirl who turns out to have a voic e that is brilliant in a jazz duet. Later the busgirl ends the show with a beautiful opera aria.

The light and flighty MC who suddenly mounts a rolling platform and does a hula hooplike you’ve never seen. Then with three hoops. Then four from all arms and legs.

Build

The Vietnamese waiter who then balances a set of glasses on a knife in his mouth. Then more, then a tray of three glasses on a sword on the tip of the knife. Then out of the roof of the ceiling comes a trapeze, and yes, he mounts the trapeze, does some twirls, rises to the ceiling, more twirls, and yes, he continues to balance four levels of physical objects. Incredible.

The dancer who brought the drinks comes out with a young stud. She’s thin, all muscle (to a man) and skinny (to a woman), and graceful. Then two ribbons fall from the ceiling, and her young stud twirls them around his arms and rises to the ceiling on them. Then she throws her scarf to him, and he pulls her up, and they do an amazing love duet using those two ribbons and their muscles and grace – incredible - again.

Catch a glimpse here:

Build upon build. Surprise on surprise. Above all –

Excellence

Every one of the performers was at the top of their game. They were excellent in their art, and that made all the difference. When you left, you know you had a unique experience.

But how about the bawdy couple in the opening wedding scene. Well, they were in and out of the entire evening, and they held it together. Perhaps they were not of the same level of 'excellence'' as those phenomenol dancers, singers, acrobats and skilled amazers - but they were critical. Without a theme, good stuff just runs together.

As Winston Churchill said, "Even pudding needs a theme."

Think of THAT for your next important communication or presentation.

THEME: Open and close and weave throughout, then

SURPRISE: push yourself to surprise your audience/listener, and

BUILD: with the unexpected, always showing

EXCELLENCE: be a class act.

Teatro Zinzanni captures it. Experience it when you can. Amazing.